Family Feud
by TabbyCat33098
Summary: Matt wins a trip to New York City, where his parents were killed by the Mafia. Here he meets a girlish chocolate addict by the name of Mello. The two build a relationship based on lies and secrets. How will they fix the problems they create? AU & YAOI!
1. Chapter 1

A/N v.2: This is the first fanfic I ever wrote. It's not the best, but it's my baby, and I'm proud of it. The second section of this chapter is total crap, because I've never been in a gmaing tournament before, and I didn't want to screw up more than I already have. The f-word has been censored out in this fic, because I was still uncomfortable with it when I wrote this fic. A lot of credit for this fic goes to my friend Chibi-sensei, who helped me beta it and get their characters just right. Happy reading! :)

**And a disclaimer: Not owned by me, owned my Obata and Ohba.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Matt was an avid gamer.

He never went anywhere without a PSP or Nintendo DSi, and at least five different games for each. When he was at home, he spent hours in front of his Xbox, PS3, or Wii beating every game he had. He often went without sleep for days because he was so caught up in one of his games. He was currently the world champion in who knew how many games because Matt had lost count already. He had won the regional and state game tournaments so often that he had been banned from participating.

Of course, as is true with most gamers, Matt was also eccentric. He always wore a fur vest (even in the summer) and a set of orange swim goggles, which he either wore or hung around his neck. He had few friends, and out of those, most were but mere acquaintances, since Matt so rarely went out.

And he was not without tragedy, either. Matt's parents were from New York City. They met at a mall and it was a case of love at first sight. When Matt was born, his parents wanted to him to be unique, and named him Mail Jeevas. But apparently his father was a mafia boss and he had gotten in trouble with a rival gang, something he "forgot" to tell Mail's mother. Soon this escalated into an all out war, and the leader of the rival gang had eventually killed his father and sworn to kill the rest of the family, too. To escape this, Mail's mother took little two-year old Mail and fled to England. But the boss found her eventually, and Mail became an orphan at fourteen. He knew it was far from over; he knew the Mafia would be back some day to finish the job.

At this point, Mail also took the easier name "Matt". He told himself it was because people refused to say his name right ("It's pronounced MILE, not MALE!") but there was another reason, one he wouldn't admit to himself: Matt wanted to get rid of all traces of his troublesome past.

Matt was shipped from relative to relative after his mother was killed, but none of his family wanted an angsty teenage gamer. Matt was thrown into Wammy's Orphanage just in time to celebrate his sixteenth birthday. Here he made his only friend, a fifteen year old boy just as antisocial as him: an albino named Near. The two had an agreement: You don't bother me and I won't bother you. The two could be in the same room for hours without saying a single word to each other.

On this particular winter day, Matt was wandering around the arcade, playing whatever video game was free until he either got bored or beat the game. He almost couldn't even look at the scoreboards because all the high scores were his. He was in between games when a flyer caught his eye.

"**Win a trip to New York in the Neutron Arcade MarioKart Tournament! Play head to head against the best gamers in town! The champion wins an all expenses paid five day, four night trip to New York! The tournament starts this Saturday at noon, here at the Neutron Arcade. There is no entrance fee, but late gamers will not be accepted. Bring your gaming head and be prepared to battle it out to the end!"**

'Well,' thought Matt. 'I haven't been kicked out of this one yet. I might as well give a try.' And another twenty minutes later, Matt got bored and left to find Near and spend a nice few hours in comfortable silence.

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><p>That Saturday, Matt showed up at the Arcade with only a few minutes to spare. He was decked, as usual, in his vest and goggles, and was wearing a striped shirt, jeans, and combat boots. He was paired with three other people and beat them within minutes. While he was waiting for the next round, he brought out his DSi and started fiddling around with it.<p>

When the first round was finished, Matt surveyed the winners. None caught his eye. He sighed and went back to playing on his DSi until he was again paired up with three different people. He beat them in a few minutes as well, and that set the tone for the rest of the afternoon: Play. Win. Survey. Sigh. Play. Win. Survey. Sigh. This pattern continued for a few hours, until he and one other person were the only two people left. It was the final round. Not surprisingly, Matt beat the other player, although he did have to work for his victory, and left the Arcade with a travel voucher held firmly in his grasp. He jumped onto his motorcycle and sped towards Wammy's.

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><p>As Matt headed towards his room, he was assaulted by an albino puffball. "Did you win?" asked an overexcited Near.<p>

"Course I did," said Matt, ruffling Near's hair. "And guess what I won?"

"What?" asked Near.

Matt pulled out his voucher with a flourish. "A trip to New York City! I get to go home, Near." Matt had envisioned going back home more times than he could count, but he gave up this dream just as often; the danger was just too great.

Strangely, when Matt pulled out the voucher, Near's face fell. "Oh. You're sixteen, aren't you? And you're leaving, too."

Matt's brows furrowed together. "What do you mean 'You're leaving, too,' Near?"

Near chewed on his lip and twirled a lock of hair around his finger. "Well… it's just that...you're the only friend I have left at Wammy's. I don't want you to leave too."

"'The only friend you have left?' What do you mean, Near?"

Near sighed. "The only friends I've ever had are you and… wait, that ticket's for New York City, right?"

A little puzzled at the change of subject, Matt replied, "Yeah. Why?"

By this time they had reached Near's room. Opening the door, Near turned his anguish filled eyes on Matt. "My friend… you'll see soon. He just left here." Saying this, Near closed the door, leaving a very confused Matt outside.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N v.2: I am forever in debt to Chibi-sensei for this chapter. She basically wrote the entire second half of the second scene in this chapter, and I pretty much just rewrote it in my style. Thanks to everyone who reviews. I reply to all reviews, except those posted as an anon, or from people who don't have the PM feature enabled. The disclaimer from last chapter applies to the entire fic. Happy reading! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Matt left England a week later and arrived in New York the next day, having gotten a nonstop flight. As he was checking into his hotel, he heard someone yelling.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S NO CHOCOLATE? I DON'T CARE! GET ME SOME F***ING CHOCOLATE, DAMMIT!"

Turning away from the uncomfortable registrar with his room key in his hand, Matt scanned the room to find the source of the unnatural yelling. His eyes alighted upon an angry-looking girl – wait, no. It was a guy with a girlish haircut. 'Weird,' thought Matt. The guy, who looked to be about Matt's age, was yelling at a bigger, burlier man who, as far as Matt could tell, had failed to procure a chocolate bar when asked. Matt shook his head. 'There sure are some strange people out there…' he thought, completely ignoring the fact that he was one of them, and walked off into his room.

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><p>The next day, Matt was driving around the city on his rented motorcycle, just generally looking around, until he found himself at a strip mall. Because he had nothing better to do, he parked his bike and got off, leaving his helmet on the handlebars. He was decked in his usual ensemble of fur vest, striped shirt, skinny jeans, and orange goggles. He walked inside the building, ignoring the strange looks he got with such ease it was almost like he got this every day (which, now that he thought about it, he did).<p>

Matt didn't really need or want anything, so he just wandered around the stores, looking at the clothes in this one, trying on the shoes in that one. It was approaching noon and Matt was hungry, so he started walking towards the food court. Then he realized he only had a couple dollars, so found the nearest vending machine and bought a chocolate bar, a bag of chips, and a bottle of soda. 'It's as good a meal as any,' he thought with a shrug, and opened the chocolate bar.

But just as he was about to take a bite of the chocolate, it was grabbed from his hand. "I'll take that," said a familiar voice, and Matt turned around to see the same girlish teen from last night running away from him with his chocolate bar in his hand.

"What the hell?" Matt screamed. "Give that back, you thief!" And so the chase began.

The blonde led Matt on such a convoluted route that Matt had to wonder how he was still even following the thief. But slowly, slowly, ever so slowly, Matt sensed that he was gaining. Eventually, Matt got close enough to nab the blonde.

"Give me back the chocolate!" Matt demanded, but the blonde just laughed.

"I ate it all. While you were still running after me, I ate the whole thing. You wasted your time for nothing!" the blonde snickered.

Matt just stared in shock. Then he started laughing, too. "It wasn't a waste of time, actually," he said when he was finally able to stop, completely ignoring the creepy look he was getting from the blonde. "It's the most fun I've had in a while. It gets boring in…" Matt stopped himself just before he was about to say _in Wammy's. _'Who is he,' Matt thought, 'that I'm able to relax so much with?' He couldn't tell anybody about Wammy's, not when the Mafia still wanted him. "Anyways, I'm Matt. Nice to meet you. I'm staying at your hotel." He held out his hand.

"Mello," said the blonde, looking disdainfully at Matt's hand. Noticing this, Matt awkwardly pulled his hand back and scratched his neck.

"So," said Matt awkwardly, following Mello as he started to walk away. "Why are you here in New York?"

"And you want to know because?" Mello asked in response, smirking at the uncomfortable look Matt now sported. "Just messing with you. I'm here because I live here, actually. Well, here and England, but I hated England and left as soon as I could with no plans to go back, so that doesn't really count. But my girlfriend kicked me out a week or so ago, so I'm staying in a hotel until I find a place to settle down."

Matt's eyes widened. "England? Wow, that's where I'm from, too. Where in England?"

"Winchester. It was a horrible place, where I lived, with nothing but a bunch of f***ing idiots. I left a year or so ago," Mello said distastefully.

'Winchester?' Matt thought. 'But that's where Wammy's is! Could this be who Near was talking about? He says he just left, too. But he says he hated it there. Does that mean he hated Near, too? But if he hated Near, how could they be friends? Or maybe they weren't friends and I'm just looking too deep into this, and this is really just a coincidence.' Matt mentally shook his head to clear it of the confusing thoughts. "So, when do you want to go back to the hotel?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"I don't really know, to tell the truth. Whenever I get bored of all the idiots surrounding me everywhere I go, I guess. You?" Mello replied.

"I don't really know either. But I figure I may as well do some sightseeing now that I'm out here. You want to come with? I'm actually here because I won a gaming tournament back at home, so it's all expenses paid," Matt offered.

Mello thought for a second. "Eh, sure. Why not. What do you want to do first?"

Matt and Mello spent the rest of the day sightseeing. They saw the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Duffy Square, and a whole lot more. To Matt's surprise, he found himself giving more details of his life to Mello than he had ever given to anyone, even Near. He told Mello his likes, his dislikes, his pet peeves, things he admired in other people, even letting slip the fact that his parents were dead. However, he said he was living with relatives, not at Wammy's.

They returned to the hotel around 9:00, but neither boy wanted to part ways. They reached Matt's room first and stood awkwardly outside the door. There was the usual hemming and hawing and "Look at the time!"-ing that grownups do at parties when they really don't want to leave, but eventually Matt said, "Well, I really do need to get to sleep. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow?"

Mello nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you at breakfast. And bring chocolate! My incompetent… 'friends,' shall we say, stole all mine from my suitcase." He looked ready to kill someone.

A little nervous, Matt responded, "Uh, yeah, I'll do that. G'night." And he went inside.

As Matt fell on the bed, he wondered to himself, 'How is it that this one, girlish guy with a chocolate fetish could get me to loosen up so much? I've spent two years pushing back those painful memories, and he just pulls them up with a few words. Who is he? How does he do this?'

Sometime in the middle of these thoughts, Matt spiraled into an anguished sleep, filled with dreams of his parents and past life.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N v.2: Thanks for the reviews, guys! :) While I no longer really _need_ reviews for this fic, considering it's already complete and I'm never going to change it, reviews are always appreciated. The last scene in this chapter was supposed to be pretty emotional, but I don't really think I hit the right chords. So sorry about that. Also, there are a few bits that might be confusing, so if you have any questions, just shoot me a PM.

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

The next day, Matt woke up extremely early, almost two hours before the breakfast bar even opened, which was at 7:00. His first thought was, 'God, I'm tired! Why the hell was I up so late last night?' His second thought wasn't really a thought so much as an image: an image of a certain blond chocolate addict. Matt shot up in bed as he remembered the previous day's events. "Shit!" he swore, berating himself for loosening up so much. "What the hell was I thinking?" But what was done was done, and somehow, Matt just couldn't bring himself to regret telling Mello so much.

Matt stretched, popping all his joints and rolling the kinks out of his back and muscles, before getting out of bed. He brushed his teeth, then took a long shower, finding the hot water soothing, and reluctantly got out when he saw the water was turning his fingers into prunes. He quickly brushed his hair, then pulled on a nice light green shirt and dark jeans, wondering why he was spending so much time on his appearance. He shook his head to clear it of those thoughts and pulled on the clothes, donning his vest and goggles afterwards. Then he looked at the clock and groaned. It was only 5:54.

Suddenly, Matt remembered something Mello had said: _"And bring chocolate! My incompetent… 'friends,' shall we say, stole all mine from my suitcase." _Matt grabbed his keys and sped towards the nearest Walmart. Within minutes, he was standing in the checkout aisle, debating over which chocolate to buy. Eventually he just picked up a piece of everything. He could feel the cashier's stare all the way out to his bike.

He reached the hotel shortly after 6:30. Not wanting to appear desperate by arriving too early, but not wanting to appear careless by arriving too late either, Matt played on his Gameboy until 7:30, when he grabbed the chocolate and left. He reached the breakfast bar in a couple minutes and anxiously scanned the room for Mello. Not seeing the blonde anywhere, Matt grabbed a plate, filled it with food, and sat down in a quiet corner to eat.

He had just finished eating and was playing on his Gameboy when someone sat down in front of him. "Sorry, someone's already sitting there," he said automatically, without even bothering to look up.

"Oh, really?" asked an amused – and familiar – voice. "And may I ask who your companion is?"

"Mello!" Matt said, finally looking up and guiltily putting away his Gameboy. He pulled out the chocolate and pushed it towards Mello. "I didn't know what you liked," he offered by way of explanation.

Mello grabbed a Hershey's bar, expertly peeling back the wrapper with a deft twist of his hand. For some reason, Matt felt a blush rising and immediately tried to suppress it. He failed miserably, but Mello was too busy stuffing his face with chocolate to notice.

"Oh my God," he mumbled appreciatively, his eyes closed in pleasure. "You would not believe how long I've gone without chocolate!" He quickly finished the Hershey's and started on a Kit Kat. Matt just looked on awkwardly. Thankfully, he wasn't blushing as much now, and it was steadily going down.

A few minutes (and a Reese's Cup, a Twix, and a 3 Musketeers) later, Mello finally pushed away the chocolate wrappers and turned to look at Matt. "So," he asked. "Whaddya wanna do today?"

So Matt pulled out a map and they started planning.

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><p>Over the next few days, Matt and Mello went everywhere, saw everything, did everything together. But the day before he was supposed to leave, Matt realized he couldn't put it off any longer. He had to go. So when Mello asked, "Whaddya wanna do today?" he replied, "Actually, there's something I have to do today. Something I need to do alone."<p>

Not noticing the somber edge to Matt's voice, Mello scoffed. "What could you _possibly_ have to do that you 'need to do alone'?"

Matt argued with himself. Should he tell Mello? What could possibly happen? But what if Mello wanted to tag along? Could he refuse without risking their friendship? He finally decided that this was something he couldn't share with _anyone_. Screw the friendship; how much did it really matter anyways? Besides, just who the hell did Mello think he was" He couldn't tag along with Matt _everywhere_.

"It's just...something...that I have to do," he said. "And sorry, but I have to do it alone." and he ran out of the hotel, leaving a speechless Mello behind.

(linebreak)

About half an hour later, Matt found himself in front of his parents' graves. He had to come here, to get all the guilt and confusion and other unfamiliar emotions of his chest. They would hair himself forever if he didn't.

"Hey Mom, Dad," he said quietly. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry I couldn't come earlier. But it was too dangerous. You understand, right, Dad? After all, it was your gang rivalry that killed you both. That'll kill me someday..." He gave a shirt mirthless chuckle. "Dad, I just wanted to say, I forgive you. You know, I blamed you for Mom's death. I hated you forever afterwards. But I'm okay now. 'Cause all's fair in love and war, right? And you really did love Mom, I can see that now. And it was wrong of me to push you away so fast, even after your death. And I'm sorry. I just hope you can forgive me."

He turned then to his mother's tombstone. "You know, Mom, you always said I'd fall in love someday and understand why Dad did what he did. Well, I don't know if this is love or not, but it's definitely the closest I've been to true happiness since you died. I...I met this guy. Not even a week ago, actually. His name's Mello. He looks kinda like a girl and he's a major chocolate addict." Matt felt the tears start to roll down his cheeks. He sank to his knees. "Mom, Mello's amazing. He's funny and smart and he makes me feel better than I've felt in ages. He's made me say things I've never told anybody else, not even to Near, and Near's my best friend!" Matt rocked back so he was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest. "Mom, Dad, I miss you guys so much it hurts. I swear, I think about you every day. Can I ask you something?" Matt paused for a second, as as if he was waiting for an answer that would never come. Then he continued, "Just... stay with me, please? Don't ever leave me alone."

And Matt gave in to the tears. He sat there, clutching his knees and rocking back and forth, quietly letting the tears stream down his face, crying like he'd never cried before.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N v.2: The POV starts changing this chapter, so be aware of that. But it only ever happens after a linebreak, so it shouldn't be too hard to spot. I do enjoy reviews, though I don't really need them for this fic, haha. But thanks to the people who left reviews. :) Happy reading! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

As the sun started to sink in the sky, Matt's thoughts drifted back to that morning. More specifically, they drifted back to his conversation with Mello. "Mello…" he whispered. Slowly wiping the tears off his cheeks, Matt started to get up. He really needed to apologize. 'What the hell was that?' he thought. 'I acted like a f***ing angsty teenage girl or something!' He ran to his bike and started to climb on.

And then the Mafia showed up.

A bullet shot through the trees surrounding the cemetery and went through the seat, mere inches from Matt. "F***!" he swore, indulging himself, and jumped on his bike and sped away, swerving wildly to avoid the flying bullets.

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><p>Mello was pacing his room. "What the hell just happened out there?" he asked himself for the hundredth time. "Why the f*** was I so mean? I mean, whatever Matt had to do, it was obviously important. Why was I trying to tag along?" He paused. "That's the whole key, isn't it? I want to go where Matt goes, do what Matt does, be where Matt is. But why?" He started pacing again, violently biting off pieces of the chocolate that, ironically, Matt had given him. Suddenly, Mello had an epiphany. "I… I love him."<p>

Mello sat down on his bed, staring at his chocolate in awe. "Damn, I need to apologize!" he said, and ran out the door, only to collide into the very person he was looking for. But there was one tiny problem. Matt had been shot.

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><p>Matt limped into the hotel, looking for Mello. One of the bullets had hit him in the calf, and another had hit his shoulder, just as he was getting off his bike in front of the hotel. He hoped he could hold onto consciousness for just a few more minutes, because he needed to apologize to Mello before he was being fussed over by all and sundry.<p>

He slowly walked towards Mello's room, only to collide with Mello himself. For some reason, Mello's eyes were wide, and for the first time since that first day, he didn't have a chocolate bar in his hand. Then he looked at Matt, and if possible, his eyes grew wider.

"F***!" Mello swore! "We gotta get you to a hospital!"

"No! Listen," Matt said, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry… for what I did… this morning. It was… really stupid… and I should have… been nicer." And, his mission accomplished, he fainted.

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><p>Mello just barely managed to catch Matt as he fell. "Shit! You're f***ing heavy, Matt!" he said. But he was able to get Matt into his room. Then he called 911 and requested an ambulance.<p>

When the ambulance, loaded with Matt, who was accompanied by Mello, reached the hospital, Matt was immediately rushed into surgery. Mello was forced to wait outside, filling out all the forms and taking care of the legalities, Because he didn't know anything about Matt, he used the alias of one of his… "employees," shall we say? For Mello was the leader of the Los Angeles Mafia.

Mello was the illegitimate child of a college student and an off-the-street hooker. He was an unexpected arrival, born because of a rip in the condom, but neither parent was willing to abort him. He was eventually born in Winchester, England. However, neither parent had the funds or resources to take care of him, so they shipped him off to Wammy's Orphanage when he was barely six months old.

Because of his abandonment, Mello grew up to be a very hostile child with a rather sadistic sense of humor. None of the children in the orphanage liked him, except for one.

Near came to Wammy's when he was five; Mello was seven at the time. Within days, near was following Mello around like a lovesick puppy, and try as he might, Mello just couldn't shake him off. Eventually, Mello grew to like the little albino puffball. As the years passed, Mello and Near became good friends. This was probably helped along by the fact that they were both extremely intelligent.

Eventually, though, the memories got to be too much for Mello, and he had to leave. A week before he turned 16, Mello snuck out of Wammy's and boarded a plane to New York City. He told nobody but Near, whose distraught face would haunt him forever. As Mello continued life in New York, he realized there was still one thing anchoring him to England: Near. And so, in order to free himself completely, Mello forced himself not to forget, but to utterly loathe Near and everything about him.

When Mello landed in New York, the first thing he did was get lost in a bad part of town. He must have looked rich because he was almost immediately jumped by two big goons. Or more accurately, he was _almost_ jumped by two goons. He took care of them faster than you could say, "Snickerdoodle." What Mello didn't know was that one of the thugs was the leader of the New York Mafia, out looking for some fun. Because he had defeated the leader, Mello became the new leader of the New York Mafia.

At this time, he also got himself a girlfriend. He had met her when he was out in a bar, getting drunk after a failed mission. The two had hit it off pretty nicely, and they were going steady within a week. She even seemed to have no issues with his Mafia connections, and they atrted to live together. Lately, though, she had started to feel alone, and had gleefully broken up with him over another, prettier, less busy man. SHe had also booted him out of her apartment, so he was staying in a hotel until he could find his own.

At the moment, though, Mello was standing in a hospital, filling out medical forms and fervently praying that Matt would be okay. A few minutes after Mello sat down, a young, good looking doctor came up to him.

"Hello, my name is Touta Matsuda. Are you the companion of the redhead we just treated?" he asked.

"Yeah," Mello replied, instantly perking up.

"Well, he'll be alright in a week or so. We've removed the bullets, but he shouldn't participate in any strenuous activities for a few weeks. We'd like to monitor him overnight to make sure his wounds don't get infected. Would you like to spend the night here or go home?" offered the young doctor.

"I'll… stay here," Mello said, and followed Dr. Matsuda up to Matt's room.

Luckily, Mello was able to sleep in the same room as Matt, as there were two beds. He was currently sitting in a chair beside Matt.

"C'mon, Matt," he whispered, taking Matt's hand and rubbing it. "You gotta pull through. Think of the people waiting for you. Think of the people depending on you. Think of me, Matt!" And he leaned in and pressed his lips to the other's.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N v.2: When I first typed it up, I did it on an iPad, and it completely screwed up the document that I sent to myself. But I finally got it retyped, so no harm done, lol. We hit the halfway point in this chapter, just fyi. This is pretty much the longest chapter in the fic, I think. The entire fic was pretty spontaneous, if it isn't obvious already. But like I said before, it's my baby, and I love it. Thanks for the reviews. Happy reading! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Matt was enjoying a nice, deep, peaceful slumber. His memories were a haze, and the only thing he could remember was a lot of pain, but thankfully the pain had disappeared pretty fast. Now all that remained was a nice, deep rest. Matt felt a small smile grace his lips as he sank deeper into the comfort that sleep offered.

And then suddenly there was something on his lips. Something soft and warm and thick and luscious, that Matt recognized as a pair of lips, and the lips pressed insistently on his own, and they were so warm and delicious, and Matt couldn't help but press back, and it was so good and pleasurable and just so NICE...

Until the lips were pulled away.

Matt whined at the loss of contact, but didn't open his eyes. But the kiss had served to bring him back to consciousness, and he suddenly realized that whoever had just kissed him had had the privilege of taking his first kiss. But that was okay, since whoever it was obviously cared about him, and Matt had the feeling that he cared about them too, but as he didn't know who it was that had kissed him, he couldn't be sure. So he slowly opened his eyes to look at the person who had taken his first kiss.

Somehow, it wasn't really a surprise that Matt was looking straight at Mello. But it stung a bit that Mello looked like he had just kissed a piranha. Matt couldn't quite speak yet, so he let out a small whine, and hoped his eyes were conveying the hurt he felt.

"You kissed back," Mello whispered. "I didn't... I didn't think... you felt about me... that way..."

Matt was slowly regaining the power of speech. "I... Well, I didn't know... I felt that way... either... until just now..." And they gazed deep into each other's eyes, trying to show the honesty they felt.

And then suddenly Mello's mouth was on Matt's again, and the two boys were nothing but a mess of flying hair and limbs as they kissed passionately over and over again. It seemed neither teen could get enough as mouth clashed with mouth, tongue battled with tongue, and moans were heard from both parties.

Of course, neither boy realized that they were in a hospital where the doctors and nurses were probably checking all of Matt's vitals, anxiously awaiting a change. So when the motherly nurse awkwardly cleared her throat in the doorway, both boys jumped apart with identical guilt-ridden faces. Now, for Mello, this wasn't such a big deal, as he had the entire room at his disposal. But for Matt, this was something completely different, as he was lying on a bed, and so when he jumped back, he bumped his head rather hard.

"Ow..." he groaned, bringing up a hand to rub his head. The nurse just sighed and walked forward to check the monitors.

"Well, considering what you two were doing just a few moments ago, the spike in your heartbeat isn't totally unwarranted," she said, completely ignoring the heated blush rising on Mello's face. "But you sure had us going for a minute there," she continued with a chuckle. "All your vitals just suddenly went all erratic! Now, I'm not going to lecture you because a) I'm not either of your mothers, and b) I was a teenager with raging hormones too once upon a time, but next time, try and remember your surroundings, okay?"

Mello gave a nervous chuckle. "Sure thing, ma'am," he said in an uncharacteristic show of politeness.

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><p>Although Matt has been discharged easily, there was still a problem yet to be taken care of.<p>

"Dammit!" Matt yelled suddenly in the car. "I missed my plane!"

"I'm sure they would let you get another ticket, seeing as you were shot and all," Mello said in response, expertly hiding the sadness he felt at the prospect of Matt leaving.

Matt blushed. "It's not that. It's just that... I don't have enough money to pay for everything by myself. I an orphan without a steady job, you know? It's not like I earn a lot of money."

Mello breathed a silent sigh of relief. 'My Matty can stay!' he thought. And then, 'Wait, what the hell? MY Matty? Since when has he been mine? I haven't even asked him out yet! And why the hell would I call him MATTY? Surely I could come up with a better pet name! And why am I even thinking of pet names? We're not dating!' Scaring himself more and more with each new thought, Mello screamed at his brain to shut up and instead concentrated on replying to Matt. Surprisingly, an answer arose easily, and he barely had to think at all. "No problem," he said. "I'll pay for you."

Matt looked horrified. "I can't possibly let you do that! Not least because I'll never be able to repay you!"

Mello shrugged. "It'll be complimentary, then. Free of charge. On the house. Whatever you want to call it."

Matt looked resigned. It seemed he had accepted he wasn't going to win this. 'Smart move,' thought Mello.

"Fine," said Matt. "You win."

* * *

><p>Back at the hotel, the two teens were left in a state of unfulfillment due to their interrupted activities in the hospital. However, neither boy wanted to risk worsening Matt's condition by picking up where they left off. So they locked themselves up in their respective rooms, unsuccessfully trying to stave off temptation. Mello soon found a solution. He nimbly dialed Matt's room.<p>

"Hey there, sexy," he said in a sultry voice. "Come join me tonight."

"Huh? Oh! Just tell me where and when, precious," Matt replied, mimicking Mello's husky tones, quickly catching on to his little game.

"Eight o'clock. Il Buco. Dress nice," Mello said, still using the same smoky voice. Then he hung up, leaving Matt to wonder how he had gotten reservations to the nicest restaurant in town.

Matt quickly dug through his suitcase, sending clothes flying everywhere. He pulled out the black dress shirt and dark skinny jeans nestled at the very bottom, thanking God that he tried to be prepared for every situation. He completed the outfit with a pair of black leather shoes.

When Matt arrived at Il Buco, he almost didn't recognize Mello. The blonde was wearing all leather: snug leather vest, lace-up leather pants, leather shoes, and most like leather boxers. He was leaning against the wall, biting off a chunk of chocolate and perfectly pulling off the I'm-a-bad-boy-so-don't-screw-with-me-unless-I-let- you look. Frankly, he looked like a sex god.

Matt let out a soft wolf whistle as he approached. "Care to let me tap that?" he asked as Mello pushed off the wall.

"Whenever you want, gorgeous," Mello replied, teasingly running a sharp fingernail sown Matt's cheek.

"Mmm…" Matt closed his eyes in pleasure and leaned into the touch. Then he reluctantly pulled away and flicked Mello's nose. "C'mon sexy, let's go eat."

Luckily, Mello had been able to get them a private booth. The moment the waiter had left, the two boys started kissing—chastely, of course. They were interrupted when they got their food, and Matt's inherent curiosity took the time to make an appearance.

"So, tell me about yourself," he said.

Mello tensed, but relaxed just as quickly. "Well, he began hesitantly, a bitter glint entering his eyes as they dropped to his food. "I'm an orphan. I was born in Winchester, but my parents…they didn't want me. I was an accident, born because of a broken condom. They were too poor to support me, so they gave me to an orphanage. There was only one kid who liked an me, and he was the only kid I liked. The rest of us hated each other. Eventually, I just got so sick and tired of it all, of the hate, the distrust, the absolute f***ing stupidity, that I flew here. I've been here for about a year now, taking odd jobs when I get them. I lived with my girlfriend for a while, but she got tired of me and broke up with me about a week ago, so I'm staying at the hotel until I can find an apartment. Then I met you, and here we are." He glared at his food, bracing himself for the pitying remark that was sure to come.

But Matt was frozen with his fork halfway to his mouth and his lips moving silently as he connected the dots. "It's you…" he whispered. "He was talking about _you_…"

Mello looked up in concern. "Matt?"

Matt abruptly straightened up. "It was Near, wasn't it? The one person who didn't hate you was Near."

Now it was Mello's turn to freeze. "How did you know?"

Matt laughed hollowly. "I went to Wammy's, too, you know. Near's my best friend. At least, he was, until I met you. He mentioned you right before I left. _You're leaving, too…. Only friend I have left…._ It all adds up now. He didn't meet me for a few months after you left, Mello, and he must have been positively heartbroken. How could you do that to him?" Matt was whispering by now, shocked by the cruelty in Mello's actions.

"I had to, don't you see?" Mello whispered back. "There was too much I hated, too much I never wanted to know again, that I was going to break. I had to, even if it meant leaving Near. I had to."

"Was it so hard to stay a few more years? Just to make sure Near would be okay? You could have waited until he was old enough to leave legally, then taken him with you!" Matt returned.

"You know what? Yes, it _was_ that important. And besides, it doesn't even matter now, does it?"

"That was the last straw for Matt. He threw a few bills on the table, affectively paying for his meal. "If this is the way you treat the people who care about you, I don't want anything to do with you," he said disgustedly. Then he got up and stormed out of the restaurant, leaving a heartbroken Mello behind.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N v.2: The funny thing about this fic is that it started out as a crappy story about Webkinz. It was about a duck whose best friend became an evil villain, until the duck found her and transformed her into a normal Webkinz again. There were so many plot holes, and it was so terrible, I cringe when I think of it. But when I reread it, my first thought was, "Omg, this would make a _perfect_ MattxMello fic!" So I started rewriting. And even though it completely flew away from my original idea, I feel like it turned out pretty okay. So yeah, that's my nostalgic story of the day. Happy reading! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

When Mello finally returned to the hotel, he went straight to his room, locked himself in, crawled into bed, and stared vacantly into space. He replayed Matt leaving over and over again, not even noticing when the tears started falling down his cheeks, which was surprising. Mello made it a point never to cry because he believed crying was for the weak. The fact that he was crying now went against all his principles, and showed him just how weak Matt had made him. But he didn't care, because he loved him, and that was all that mattered, even if his love would never be returned.

Mello didn't remember falling asleep, but he must have, because he didn't what had woken him up so early the next morning. Maybe it was some sixth sense, already feeling the loss. Maybe his ears had detected the faint _shoop_ of the envelope sliding under the door. He didn't know. All he did know was that he was wide awake at 3:57 AM, his cheeks were wet with fresh tears, and there was an envelope addressed to him lying in front of the door. Mello jumped out of bed, grabbed the envelope, and dove back in, trying to beat the cold. He ripped open the envelope and pulled out the letter with shaky hands. As he read the letter, he felt his heart break all over again.

_Mello_, it read.

_By the time you read this, I will most likely be gone._

_I can't do this anymore. I enjoyed the time we spent together, but any relationship between us is impossible. Is this who you really are, Mello? Have I been in love with a mask? I know you meant well, but how can I be sure you would always be with me? How do I know you wouldn't just leave when the going ot too rough?_

_I love you, Mello, you know I do. But I can't deal with this. I truly believe that this is the best for both of us. I've booked a flight to London. It leaves in a few hours. Please don't try to follow me._

_Love, Matt_

Mello stared at the letter for a few minutes before the words truly sunk in. The he grabbed his keys and gunned it towards the airport. In all fairness, Mello should've reached the airport before Matt. But when he parked, he couldn't find Matt's bike anywhere. Ignoring this, he ran inside. Once again, he couldn't see Matt. Because of the early hour, there were very few people checking in. Mello wandered around, calling Matt's name until he grew hoarse. That was when he gave up. Something had happened to his Matt, he just knew it. He had been at the airport for almost 20 minutes, how could he miss Matt in such a small crowd? He could be hurt, he could be sick, he could be in trouble, and Mello had to—

'Since when do you have to do anything?' asked his inner voice. 'F*** him. Damn him to hell. He;s made it clear he doesn't want you. You need to show him that you don't want him either. Forget him. You're your own person now, Mello.'

"Yeah," Mello said quietly. "That's right. I'm my own person now. I don't need him anymore." He straightened up, pulling his shoulders back and fixing a wide grin on his face. He quickly drove back to the hotel, exhilarated by his newfound knowledge.

But even he knew that it was only a matter of time before his façade broke to reveal the raw emotions he felt churning inside him.

* * *

><p>Matt felt his tear blur the world as he drove to the airport. Phrases from his letter flashed through his mind. <em>I can't do this…. How do I know…? Is it a mask?<em> And the most recurring: _I love you._

Matt still didn't know if he had made the right decision or not. Had he acted too rashly? Had he made the wrong decision and was now fueled by pride alone? Or was he only doing this to allay his own fears, not because he thought it best for the both of them? As he rode on, Matt started to think that the third choice was the most accurate. However, now that he had chosen that path, his pride wouldn't let him back down.

Matt resigned himself to never feeling love again. He knew his heart did and always would belong to Mello. 'And you better take damn god care of it, too!' he thought bitterly.

Matt dropped off his bike at the rental area, pulling out a credit card and paying for the extra usage. He morosely walked out of the door, heading towards the main terminal.

That was when they got him.

Matt felt an arm go around his neck pressing him against a wiry but strong body. He opened his mouth to scream, taking in a deep breath to fill his lungs. As he did so, the man's free hand clamped a chloroform-soaked rag to his face. Instead of breathing in the air he needed, Matt breathed in the chloroform on the rag. As he lacked out, he kept hold a single thought: 'Mello! Please, stay safe!'


	7. Chapter 7

A/N v.3: Just 2 more chapters to go! Lol. I promised my friend I would put this in: She wanted them to go to a zoo, but I couldn't work it in. Sorry not sorry, Amber. I want to apologize for any typos, since this hasn't really been beta'd, and I hate going through my old work after typing it up because then I start to change things to suit my OCD. As always, reviews are loved. Happy reading! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Mello walked into the Mafia headquarters bright and early the next morning, acting like he owned the place—which, really, he did. But anybody who knew him well could tell the bounce in his step was slightly forced. He kicked Rod Ross, one of his underdogs, off the couch and thumped back onto it. He propped his feet on the table in front of him and magically pulled a chocolate bar from somewhere on his form-fitting-leather clad person. He bit off a chunk and waited for his subordinates to gather.

"Okay," he said once they were all present. "You've been on free rein long enough. New York is getting comfortable. It's time to show them why they should be scared." A murmur of agreement ran through the room. "So," Mello continued, "to get your lazy asses back in shape, I've devised a…field exercise, you could say. It serves a dual purpose: A) I can figure out which one of you pussies needs a refresher in our way of life, and B) New York gets a nasty surprise.

"You will all stand alone. No alliances, no cooperation, no f***ing nothing. Any violaters will be shot immediately, no questions asked. Any questions?" The pussies in question all shook their heads.

"Good. Here's your task. Everyone here is to capture someone from New York City, in broad daylight, without arousing suspicions. You will bring them back here, to the based, without arousing suspicions. You will kill them, preferably in an amusing way, in front of me. And you will return them where you found them, _without arousing suspicions_. You have 3 days to complete this. Anybody who f***s up, even a little bit, will be given a refresher on how to achieve these missions." Here he pulled out his gun and started caressing it, leaving no doubt as to what this 'refresher' might be. Not looking up from his gun, Mello's voice hardened. "What the f*** are you waiting for? GO!" The men immediately scampered out, already trying to find a potential victim.

* * *

><p>When Matt woke up, he was tied to a strange bed with a strange man hovering over him.<p>

"Well whaddya know. Sleeping Beauty awakes," the man grunted. "I've been waiting 2 f***ing days, pretty boy. Must have put too much chloroform in the rag. But whatever. You serve two purposes. Not only can I eliminate you, you'll be my victim for—" Matt hadn't really heard anything. The man's face looked familiar. "Do I know you?" he interrupted.

The man gave a short chuckle. "You don't remember? Of course not," he answered himself. "And it'd be better if we kept it that way," he added with a sadistic smile.

Matt let it go, not liking the promises that smile held. Still, there was something niggling at the back of his brain. He knew this man, he just didn't know how.

Matt's train of thought was interrupted as he felt his bindings loosen. He instantly brought his hands up to punch the other man, sweeping his feet around to follow through with a sweeping kick to the back of his knees that would send his kidnapper sprawling. He had no idea what he would do afterwards, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

As it was, there was no reason to think that far. The man simply caught his hands and feet with his own hands, then quickly let go and delivered a swift uppercut to Matt's jaw. Matt slowly rubbed his bruised skin as the man drawled, "Oh yeah, one more thing: no funny business." He hauled Matt to his feet and shoved him out the door.

As they reached a staircase, Matt's mysterious captor shoved a gun into Matt's hand. "For the boss's amusement," he said cryptically, answering Matt's unspoken question. He made one stop to whisper something to another man, who ran away immediately afterwards, but other than that they continued uninterrupted.

Eventually they came out into what looked to be a foyer. There were a few couches, a coffee table, and some computers. But Matt wasn't looking at these. He was too busy looking down the barrel of the man's shotgun. "One false move," he warned, "and I'll blow your brains out. Now go the end of the coffee table and take out your gun. Now, I'm sure you've realized that you know me," he continued as Matt complied. "And so I'll help the thought process along. We'll let the fun start there, eh?"My name, my precious Matty, is Kal Snydar."

Matt's eyes widened almost comically as all the pieces clicked into place. "You…" he hissed, and leveled his gun at Snydar's chest.

Snydar just grinned and leveled his own gun at Matt's chest. "Yup. This is where it ends, runt. When I kill you, this'll all be over. You're the last carrier of the Jeevas bloodline, aren't you? Yes, when you die, so does your line, and the Snydar clan will have won!"

Of course, Mello chose that moment to appear, munching on a bar of chocolate. "Back already, Kal? Amazing. You're the first one, congra—" Mello stopped talking as his eyes landed on Matt.

"Mello?" Matt asked in confusion, lowering his gun an inch or two. "What are you doing here?" Then his confusion turned to panic. "It's not safe here! They'll kill—"

And then Matt felt the most horrible pain. He just had time to register the smug look on Kal's face before the world went black and he crumpled to the ground.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N v.2: Almost done! You shouldn't have to suffer too much more. ;) Mello may be a bit OOC this chapter, so bear with me, yeah? Happy reading! :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

"Matt!" screamed Mello, rushing to his side, dropping his chocolate bar in the confusion and not caring. "No! You can't be f***ing dead, Matt! Dammit, you can't be dead!" He felt around Matt's neck frantically, breathing a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse. It was faint, but at least it was there. Satisfied that Matt was alive, Mello turned his gaze on Kal, whose smirk had finally dropped. Mello instantly replaced his look of grief with one that spelled Kal's long and painful death.

"What the f*** were you thinking? You could have killed him!"

"Well, that was kind of the point. But I didn't know he was yours, Mello, or I wouldn't've shot him. I wouldn't want to hurt your precious _boy toy_, now do I?" Kal replied with a sneer.

Mello felt more anger than he thought possible when Kal insulted Matt. "Don't you ever say that," Mello growled. "Not f***ing ever!" Wanting the other man to feel as much pain as possible, Mello picked up Matt's gun and shot Kal in the groin. "Go f*** yourself, you son of a bitch!"

Ignoring the older man's pain-filled screams, Mello threw Matt over his shoulder and ran out of the room. He threw Matt in the backseat of a truck and jumped in. He pressed the gas pedal to the floor and gunned it all the way to the hospital, fervently hoping the entire way that it wasn't too late.

The moment Mello pulled in, he was grabbing Matt and rushing him inside. Lady Luck was on his side and Matt was immediately rushed into surgery. They still had all of 'Matt's' forms on file, so Mello didn't have to fill them out again. Instead, he sat in the uncomfortable hospital chairs, anxiously awaiting news of Matt's injury. He had almost reached to point of barging into the OR and demanding answers when the young doctor—Dr. Matsuda, Mello remembered—came out to talk to him.

Dr. Matsuda wore a worried yet disapproving expression. "I thought I told you to keep him out of trouble," he said sternly. Mello just glared at the floor, and the doctor sighed. "We've done all we can. The bullet just barely missed his vital organs, so he won't die. But he may not make a full recovery, either, and he'll always be a little weak. Would you like to stay here again?" Mello nodded numbly and allowed the doctor to lead him to Matt's room, glaring at his shoes the entire time.

'It's all my fault!' he yelled at himself. 'I shouldn't have been so flippant, I should have followed him immediately, I should've apologized, something! It's all my fault; if I hadn't joined the mafia, if I hadn't set that exercise, if I had made sure he was safe, if I hadn't listened to that abso-f***ing-lutely stupid voice, he would be okay. It's all my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my f***ing fault!'And he repeated this like a mantra, albeit a very self-deprecating one, all the way to Matt's room.

When Mello got inside, he froze. The words "Oh my God" escaped his lips in a flutter of breath. Matt's torso was completely wrapped in gauze and he had an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose. There were several tubes hooked up all over his body, and several monitors in the room beeped incessantly. He looked like he was on his deathbed. With a start, Mello realized that Matt had come within an inch of that statement actually coming true. "Oh my God," he whispered again. He felt himself walk forward to Matt's side, almost as if he was in a dream. But no matter how many times he blinked, no matter how many times he pinched himself, Matt stayed firmly in front of him. It finally hit him that Matt could have died.

In the last week, Mello had cried more than he had in his entire life. And now he cried again.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Matt regained consciousness. True it was only for a couple of seconds, and he slipped away almost immediately, but it was a start. In fact, it was more than anybody hoped for, because he woke up to say just one word:<p>

_Mello_.

Of course, Mello was sitting right next to him, like he had been for the past two days. The moment Matt spoke, he was right there, assuring him that yes, I'm here and not to worry, you'll make a full recovery, because if you don't, I swear I'll find you and kick your ass! Sadly, Matt slipped away before he could hear these not-so-comforting words. Then the nurses were there and Mello was kicked out and didn't get a chance to go back in until the next day.

A couple days after that, he opened his eyes for the first time. Obviously, the first thing he focused on was Mello. He adopted a neutral expression. "Mello," he whispered, trying to be threatening. "You almost got me killed, you bastard!" And Mello was so scared that he wouldn't ever be forgiven, that Matt was going to leave him _again_, but then Matt cracked a shaky smile. "But then you saved me, so it's all good." Mello almost cried for joy. Almost. But Matt's eyes hardened and Mello grew fearful again. "We need to talk," he said. "I'm too damn tired right now, and there'll probably be a shitload of nurses here in a second, but just you wait. Don't think you're safe yet!" And he fell asleep within seconds, just missing the wave of nurses he had predicted would come.

And Mello did shed a few tears of joy then, even if he wouldn't admit it, because he knew Matt would be alright. He wouldn't have bothered threatening Mello otherwise.

* * *

><p>After that, Matt's recovery progressed in leaps and bounds. Within a week he was able to stand up and walk a few feet. A week after that, he was able to walk normally, though he still wasn't strong enough to run. He was discharged a few days later, with strict instructions not to participate in any activities more strenuous than walking up the stairs. As Dr. Matsuda said, "Next time you're in here, if it's any earlier than six months, I'm charging double the cost! I can't treat my patients if they won't treat themselves!"<p>

Mello was always at his side, like some sort of guardian angel, ironically enough. 'Or a guilt-ridden teenager trying to fix his idiotic mistakes,' Matt amended. In fact, it was getting a little annoying, but Matt didn't have the heart to tell Mello that, for fear it would drive him away.

Eventually, Matt made as much of a recovery as he ever would. He was finally able to stop Mello's mother-henning (which, frankly, was so out of character for Mello that it was slightly unnerving).He started to participate in normal activities again, and when he was suitably self-sufficient, he made a decision. It was time to have that nasty talk he had promised Mello so many weeks ago in the hospital.

"Mello!" he called, walking through their apartment. Mello had rented it a few days before Matt had been released. Mello had justified it as making it easier to care for Matt. Matt just thought Mello wanted an excuse to live with him. It had two bedrooms, although they only ever used one, a bathroom, a small kitchenette, a family room, and a small study. Overall, it radiated a warm feeling of coziness.

"Mello!" Matt called again, surprised when he wasn't met by a loud "What the f*** do you want!" in return. He frowned, his brows knitting together adorably, as he realized the apartment was quieter than normal. He quickly searched all the rooms again, confirming what he already suspected. Mello was missing.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N v.4: Credit for the poem in this chapter goes to the Liebeslieder Waltzes we had to do in Vocal Music. It's the last chapter of this fic, and it makes me a little sad to see it end. But I've grown a lot as a writer since then, and this gave me my first boost of confidence to actually write, so I've always been grateful for this fic. Thanks for suffering through this with me, guys. I appreciate it a lot. Happy reading! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

"Dammit!" Matt growled, futilely searching the apartment again. "And just when I was ready to confront him, too! Damn coward!"He was unable to believe it was simply a coincidence, even though Mello couldn't possibly have known what Matt was going to do. Matt sighed as he flopped onto his bed, then jumped right back up when his action sent an envelope fluttering to the ground. He quickly picked it up and flipped it around to read the back. A puzzled expression flashed across his face as he read the words, _"To my love: Forgive me."_

Matt opened the envelope and took out the letter inside. He quickly unfolded it, taking in the messy scrawl on the paper before quickly scanning it, letting random words and phrases jump put at him: _That day back at the base…I want us to work…risk you leaving…head of the New York City Mafia…a relationship with me…my final request…Near…insensitive bastard…gone on dangerous…always be after you…defeated the leader…took his place…broke up with me…get rid of you…listen to the letter…I will be waiting…Sorry…Sorry…Sorry…._

Matt's eyes lingered at that last piece of organized scrawl: _Sorry._

Thinking he ought to know what Mello was apologizing about, his eyes flickered back up to the top of the page and slowly worked their way down, this time reading every word.

_Matt,_ it read.

_I know you want to know about that day back at base. And I know it would be stupid of me not to tell you if I want us to work. And I do, so bad. But I'm a coward, and I can't bear to tell you face to face and risk you leaving. So I'm doing the next best thing: writing a letter._

_First, I want to tell you something. I'm the head of the New York City Mafia. You can decide whether or not you want to keep reading. I know this is a huge thing to spring on you, but it's who I am, and if you can't deal with that, maybe you shouldn't be in a relationship with me._

_Obviously, you've continued reading. I rather thought you would, but I still had to give you a choice, and the chance to deny my final request, as it were. A request I haven't even made yet. I'm getting way ahead of myself. So how about we start at the beginning and work our way from there?_

_To save time, everything I told you at _Il Buco_ is true. I really did go to Wammy's. I really did leave Near, and now that I think about it, that was such a f***ing stupid thing to do. And I'm sorry. I know I came off as an insensitive bastard, but what I did was wrong, and I know that now. And yes, I did have a girlfriend who kicked me out of her apartment. But she didn't just not like me. She hated that I was constantly gone on dangerous missions, putting her in danger as well by association. So she found a prettier, safer man to be with and left me on the street. That's another risk in our relationship, if you choose to have one: people will always be after you._

_But I said I would start at the beginning, so I will. When I came to NYC, I was jumped by the current head of the Mafia andhis right-hand man. My years at Wammy's allowed me to easily dispose of them. Because I had defeated the leader, I took his place, and he became second-in-command. I've had that post for about a year now._

_When you…broke up with me, I hardened my heart again. I set a field exercise of sorts to get my subordinates back in shape. I looked into Kal's history, and I know about your feud. I'm betting he was trying to kill two birds with one stone: he could get rid of you and end the feud, as well as triumph in my challenge. That's when I walked in. And lucky I did, too, or you would most likely be six feet under by now. But you're not, and that's all that matters._

_But I'm making a request now and my request is this: listen to the letter. Do what it says. As I said, in the end, it's really your choice. But I will be waiting, and I hope it isn't in vain._

_One last thing before I leave: Sorry!  
>I'm sorry for everything. For all the pain, the anger, the stupid actions, the worrying, the hurt, everything. Just…<em>

_Sorry._

Matt reached the bottom of the page and saw a small arrow, telling him to flip to the other side. He did so, and saw some more writing. It read:

_**In such a way my spirit  
>Begins to shake and flutter.<br>Come to me, you dark-eyed maiden.  
>Kiss me when 'tis dark'ning.<strong>_

_**When tasting joy and sadness,  
>My heart seeks thine, my heart seeks thine.<br>Meet me when the stars are greeting.  
>Kiss me when 'tis dark'ning.<strong>_

_**Nightingale, you sing so sweet,  
>Yield your love, my fondest heart.<br>Would you rather keep me burning?  
>Kiss me when 'tis dark'ning.<strong>_

_Found this online. Thought it was perfect. Central Park. 7:30. Remember: I'll be waiting._

_Love, Mello._

Matt quietly set the letter to the side, flopping back onto the bed. He mulled over everything he had learned, trying to force it to make more sense.

"Mello's in the mafia," he said aloud, hoping it would help him clear his head. "In fact, he's the head of the mafia—fact. If I choose to be with him, I will be in danger—fact. I will never be safe again—fact.

"But…he loves me—fact. He's sorry—fact. And…I love him." Matt's eyes widened at the instinctive statement. "I-I love him," he repeated. "I don't care that I'll constantly be in danger. I don't care that I'll have so many more enemies, more than I ever thought possible. Because…

"I love him."

Matt looked at the clock. It read 7:00. He quickly jumped out of bed and ran to his closet. With a faint smile playing on his lips, he quickly pulled out his zebra-striped shirt, his fur-lined vest, his dark skinny jeans, his combat boots, and his orange goggles—the same outfit he had been wearing when he first met Mello. He quickly donned the outfit before jumping onto the cheap motorcycle he had bought. It wasn't as amazing as his other one, but it did the job.

Within 20 minutes, Matt was wandering through Central Park, trying to find Mello. The park was deserted this late in the day, and he easily spotted Mello's blonde head. The blonde was facing away from Matt, gazing at the sunset. Matt quietly walked over and interlaced his hand into Mello's.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he murmured, not wanting to disturb the perfection of the scene. Mello just nodded, watching as the sun started to set dip below the horizon. Sensing instinctively that the moment was right, the two boys turned to face each other.

"So you'll stay?" asked Mello, trying to confirm what he already thought he knew.

"Find out for yourself," Matt replied, smirking, before leaning in to place his lips against Mello's. The two teens stood silhouetted against the setting sun, enjoying their moment of quiet perfection and happiness. Though the day was ending, their story had only just begun.

**FIN**


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